Vince 9,459 Posted December 13, 2015 Here we have a topic concerning the lack of characters within the sport and basically saying we need more off track excitement, punch ups, shouting at refs etc, which I do agree with fully. Meantime on the Isle of Wight thread a rider is being criticised for punching a wall in frustration which I would say is pretty normal for many wound up sportsman. Maybe this is why it seems like there are a lack of characters, riders today are criticised instantly for any and every slight misdemeanour by the fans and fined by the authorities. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pinny 2,580 Posted December 26, 2015 Stonehewer was a character. I remember the season i first started attending speedway, 99 at newport, people were talking about him every week on the second bend and how excited they were for him to visit with worky. Anders henriksson went out and beat him , stoney was second chasing him all over for four laps and would probably of passed him had he not had frank smart buzzing all over his back wheel for four laps. Stoney and anders hated eachother , and his defeat to anders didnt down to well with him! There was the time when he maxed out at newport but we still beat worky, would guess 2001 but maybe wrong. He won heat 15 and done about 4 laps of honour giving the fans the middle finger, then when appearing in the bar after the meeting a certain pinstripe senior was stood next to him at the bar and said "was that me you were waving your middle finger at after heat 15?" Never seen someone go so pale as stoney did, thankfully my old man was only joking as he towered about 3 foot above him 😂. Most times there after there would be an incident with stoney, i remember when newport were losing to worky and the track was dry, stoney unbeaten. At the interval tim stone drenched the track and he was crap there after and we won the match. Happy days. And who can forget his brawl with Henriksson on the centre green at reading?! Stonehewer was a proper charactor, entertainer and a top rider as well. Sadly he went on a few seasons too long, seeing him score 1 or 2 at newport as redcars number 4 wasnt nice to see Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dave the Mic 258 Posted December 26, 2015 Yeah, Stoney was a proper guy. I used to see him at Exeter, get interviewed about how crap the track was & the score a bucketful of points. The crowd hated him, but he was box office. That said, he was the first to congratulate the Falcons when they secured the league title in 2000 after securing the bonus point with a 46-43 defeat at Derwent Park. Even came over to congratulate the Exeter fans who had made the trip. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pinny 2,580 Posted December 26, 2015 Seen him at Exeter for workington once whilst on holiday down that way, he was absolute crap that night. Would of been 02/03ish? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,247 Posted December 27, 2015 Just reading the Dave Morton book (excellent read) and he comments on the occasion that Ivan Mauger ran a training school at Chesterton (later re-named Stoke) where riders of all abilities took part. Ivan placed cones strategically on the track to test the riders skills only for Jack Millen to plough thru' them rather than ride around them! Can imagine the 'conversation' between Ivan and 'Crazy' Jack after that particular episode! Jack was re-signed by Crewe after a couple of years spent at Sunderland in the hope that he would attract fans back to Earle Street with his mad cap antics! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dave the Mic 258 Posted December 27, 2015 Seen him at Exeter for workington once whilst on holiday down that way, he was absolute crap that night. Would of been 02/03ish? Could have been Pinny. He had some awful nights at Exeter, but just as many good ones. He always moaned about it, but often delivered. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted December 27, 2015 Seen him at Exeter for workington once whilst on holiday down that way, he was absolute crap that night. Would of been 02/03ish? Was it not Stoney that chased Anders across the Sheffield centre green with a shovel in his hands. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pinny 2,580 Posted December 28, 2015 Was it not Stoney that chased Anders across the Sheffield centre green with a shovel in his hands. Believe it was, although that was 97 or 98, before i started following speedway. Anders was a pretty hard rider himself and many riders were victims to some of his first and second bends at Newport Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martinmauger 584 Posted December 28, 2015 Yeah I remember Carl Stonehewer, heck of a rider, wish he'd ridden for Hull and he almost could have. I read somewhere that when Long Eaton closed end of 1997/eve of 1998 season finding himself without a club, Stoney phoned all the Premier League tracks for a team spot but only Sheffield got back to him. Then in 1999 Worky re-opened, signed Stoney and his career really took off doubling up with Belle Vue and riding in the GPs. He was never the same rider after a bad accident where he crashed and badly injured his arm or shoulder, I forget which, due to a bad tyre burn..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
topsoil 2,498 Posted December 28, 2015 I've seen Carl Stonehewer almost unconscious drunk at the foot of the stairs of the nightclub in my home town. Before the advent of social media this made you a 'character'. Now it would be all over forums and the like, he would get slaughtered. We, as fans, want to have our cake and eat it. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
george.m 3,063 Posted December 28, 2015 I've seen Carl Stonehewer almost unconscious drunk at the foot of the stairs of the nightclub in my home town. Before the advent of social media this made you a 'character'. Now it would be all over forums and the like, he would get slaughtered. We, as fans, want to have our cake and eat it. "Almost unconscious" doesn't make you a character. Unconscious does! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pinny 2,580 Posted December 29, 2015 Yeah I remember Carl Stonehewer, heck of a rider, wish he'd ridden for Hull and he almost could have. I read somewhere that when Long Eaton closed end of 1997/eve of 1998 season finding himself without a club, Stoney phoned all the Premier League tracks for a team spot but only Sheffield got back to him. Then in 1999 Worky re-opened, signed Stoney and his career really took off doubling up with Belle Vue and riding in the GPs. He was never the same rider after a bad accident where he crashed and badly injured his arm or shoulder, I forget which, due to a bad tyre burn..... He was never the same as soon as his main sponsor left him. It may well of been Thomas Armstrong? As soon as he left, his form declined. Same as Craig Watson at newport - once mallett transport left him he was never the same even before his injury. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trees 2,814 Posted December 29, 2015 Money makes a difference eh .... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildcat Steve 33 Posted December 31, 2015 ha ha George Piper is back in 2016 lets see what the season brings Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
